What preventive measure helps avoid electrical fires?

Avoiding circuit overloads is a crucial preventive measure for preventing electrical fires. When circuits are overloaded, they carry more current than they are designed to handle, leading to excessive heat generation. This heat can damage the electrical insulation and components, potentially igniting a fire. By ensuring that circuits are not overloaded, you maintain safe operating conditions within the electrical system, thus significantly reducing the risk of overheating and fires.

Using the correct wire gauge, connecting devices properly, and using insulated tools are also important practices to maintain safety; however, they do not directly address the specific hazard of circuit overloads, which is a common cause of electrical fires. Properly sized wires ensure that the current flow is within safe limits, but the main focus of this question is on preventing the conditions that could lead to overload and subsequently fire hazards.